News & Views
Scientists discover ideal spore collection method
Apr 28 2011
Experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) used a series of different wipes and solutions to find out which were best at retrieving vaccine strain Bacillus anthracis (Sterne), which was chosen as a substitute for the Bacillus anthracis (Ames) agent that causes anthrax.
They found that polyester-rayon wipes were the most effective in collecting microbial spores, while saline-surfactant extraction followed by vortexing was particularly efficient in removing the spores from the wipes.
The findings - which have been published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology - could help to develop a standard biological sampling protocol for bioterrorist or biohazard events.
"A comprehensive look at the impact of protocol variables affecting the performance of spore recovery - especially when dealing with serious threats such as anthrax - is an important national homeland security priority," commented lead researcher Sandra Da Silva.
NIST also conducts studies in the areas of energy, electronics, nanotechnology, transport, IT and manufacturing, among others.
Digital Edition
Lab Asia 31.2 April 2024
April 2024
In This Edition Chromatography Articles - Approaches to troubleshooting an SPE method for the analysis of oligonucleotides (pt i) - High-precision liquid flow processes demand full fluidic c...
View all digital editions
Events
Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024
Apr 08 2024 Edinburgh 2024
Apr 09 2024 Munich, Germany
Apr 10 2024 Helsinki, Finland
Analytica Anacon India & IndiaLabExpo
Apr 15 2024 Mumbai, India
Apr 16 2024 Moscow, Russia